Special Collections and Archives (SCA) provides copies of materials to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. We welcome you to use materials in our collections that are in the public domain and to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by U.S. copyright law. Please review how to cite our materials.
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17 United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a researcher uses a reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that researcher may be liable for copyright infringement.
Requests to copy Special Collections and Archives materials constitute an agreement that you will not reproduce, transfer, distribute, broadcast, publicly display, sell, or otherwise use copyrighted material beyond fair use without the express permission from the copyright holder (PDF), as defined by U.S. copyright law.
While SCA owns the materials in our collections, we usually do not hold the copyright unless it has been explicitly transferred to UNLV. You are responsible for determining the copyright status of materials and obtaining permission from the copyright holder when necessary. Special Collections and Archives cannot grant permission to publish or distribute materials when UNLV is not the copyright holder.
We reserve the right to limit the number of copies made, restrict the use of rare or valuable items, or deny requests due to copyright regulations, privacy rights, donor-imposed restrictions, or other rights-related concerns.
With some exceptions, the use of cameras and scanners is permitted at no charge. We may restrict their use if materials are mishandled or if equipment poses a risk to collection materials or disrupts the reading room. Feeder scanners are not allowed.
Special Collections and Archives welcomes the use of materials in the public domain and the fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by U.S. copyright law. Please review how to cite our materials.
Materials held by Special Collections and Archives may be protected by U.S. copyright law or the copyright laws of other countries. Copyright law applies to both unpublished and published materials.
Special Collections & Archives does not claim to control the rights for reproduction for all materials or images in its collections. Certain images or materials may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV.
If UNLV does not clearly hold the copyright to an item, Special Collections & Archives cannot grant or deny permission to use that material.
When you obtain a reproduction, you are responsible for determining whether permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or trademark (PDF) are required for your intended use and for securing those permissions. Written permission from rights holders is required for uses beyond fair use.
Special Collections and Archives does not conduct research to identify or locate rights holders. While we may provide available information, we do not warrant its accuracy and are not responsible for errors or omissions. We do not facilitate or execute permission requests.
Additional resources:
- Using copyrighted and unpublished materials, guidance from the Society of American Archivists.
- How to investigate the copyright status of a work (PDF) from the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Overview of materials with unknown copyright owners from the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Additional orphan works guidance: Resources from Columbia University Libraries and the Society of American Archivists.
When you use materials, cite Special Collections and Archives as the source using the following:
UNLV Libraries Special Collections and Archives
You also must not use the name of Special Collections & Archives, the University Libraries, or UNLV in any manner which creates any false association between you and the image, materials, the Libraries, and/or UNLV, or that incorrectly implies any sponsorship or endorsement by the Libraries, UNLV, or any third party rights holder.
We appreciate receiving a copy of any published work that features our material.
If you have any more information about an item you've seen on our website or if you are the copyright owner and believe our website has not properly attributed your work to you or has used it without permission, we want to hear from you. Please use our contact form and include your contact information and a link to the relevant content.
You are responsible for addressing privacy and publicity rights related to your use of materials. These rights are distinct from copyright, and fair use does not apply to privacy or publicity claims.
Individuals depicted in materials may have privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). Special Collections and Archives may require a release from individuals whose privacy could be affected by use of these materials.
The right of publicity allows individuals to control and profit from the use of their name, image, or likeness. Commercial use of a person’s identity generally requires consent. These rights are governed by state laws, such as Nevada Revised Statutes 597.770–810.
By obtaining reproductions, you accept responsibility for any infringement of copyright or other rights resulting from your use of the materials.
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, its Regents, officers, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses arising from your use of these materials. This includes, but is not limited to, claims related to copyright infringement, trademark violations, privacy or publicity rights, or libel.